Gas and Trick or Treaters

Happy November everyone! There has been very few updates this month, but the few we have done are pretty awesome. Lets start with gas. We have decided that it was all around better for us to get rid of our old oil heat and replace it with a brand new gas heating system. It was perfect timing becuase we just ran out of the oil we had purchased last winter. We only spent two cold nights before getting the new system. First of all, neither one of us liked the idea of oil heating, you have to get it delivered, every company is different, and its super expensive. It was a pretty effortless project. Some men came in the morning, installed everything, set it up, then left (all without me knowing!). When I got home from work I walked in to an overwhelming smell of gas. I did know that the gas people were coming, just didn't know they were installing anything that day. Well I was on the phone with my mom and quickly said "I have to call you back I smell gas...click" (I'm sure that didn't freak her out at all). I ran into the bedroom to make sure my cats weren't dead, opened all the windows and called Joe. Joe called the company that installed the heater and they rushed right over. When the guy came to the door I said "Are you here about my gas?" He laughed, took me a minute to figure out why. I took him down to the basement and he began putting this drippy stuff on all the connections and he said if it bubbles we have a leak. At this point I was nervous that I was just being paranoid about the smell, then the drippy concoction started to bubble. When I said "yay, there really is a leak" the guy looked at me like I was crazy and said, "I've never had anyone cheer over a gas leak before." Then it was time to call National Grid our gas provider. Nation Grid dude rushed right over too! On a side note I have to say that as a woman and a generally nervous person this was one of the easiest experiences that I have had with unknown men coming to my house. Not that there is many unknown men coming to the house, but there has been a few, the cable guy, the window guy (we'll get to him in a minute) and delivery men. These two were so nice and professional. After the leak was fixed they both gave me a tutorial on the gas heating system. I feel very knowledgeable in the subject. Since then the gas heat has been awesome.

Window guy...now that's a different story all together. Joe and I are getting new windows from Anderson Windows on the first floor. The experience has been alright until the window measurement. We scheduled the appointment for a day that I had off and for later in the day so I could relax (we just got back from D.C.- yes we went to the Rally to Restore Sanity amazing). Well my house is a mess, I'm sitting on the couch, still in my p.j.'s, talking to my mom when I hear my doorbell ring. I look out the window and see the window dude. (Poor mom, I keep hanging up on her). He can most likely hear me on the phone so I can't hide, so I have to answer the door in my p.j.'s. I answered by saying "Your early...like wicked early". (About 2.5 hours early). He laughed and told me he just happened to be in the area and he wanted to see if he could do the measurements now. I told him he would have to wait while I got dressed. I got dressed as quickly as possible then tried to clean up a bit. He came in and measured all the windows. I wasn't quite sure of what I should be doing, do I follow him around (it is my house, he is a stranger), do I sit and watch t.v., do I pretend to read a magazine? At the end I think I ended up doing a little of each. Very awkward experience and I hope I don't have to do that again anytime soon.

As far as Halloween went, I have to say it was the most uneventful one I've had in Salem. This was the first time in 9 years that I did not go downtown. Joe and I got back early from D.C. and we both were a bit run down so we decided to stay in. I had bought some candy (about 6 bags) before hand just in case. Well I'm glad I bought so much becuase we only had 10 trick or treaters (needless to say we had some leftover). What has happened to trick or treating, do children not go anymore? I don't understand. It's too bad- I got the good stuff, and I dressed up! To make it more confusing my neighbors have the same plug in door bell as us so whenever someone rang their doorbell, ours rang too. I kept running to the back door (which we blocked off so I could pass candy out the front) yelling "I'm coming!" Only to find nobody there. I think I'm going to go downtown next year, no matter what. It just didn't feel the same.